Global Independent Refugee Women Leaders

Global Independent Refugee Women Leaders (GIRWL) is a group of refugee women-led initiatives, networks, and advocates that works with and for refugee women to:

1. Increase refugee women participation in shaping policies;
2. Build refugee women’s capacity to engage locally, nationally, regionally and globally; and
3. Strategically advocate for and promote inclusive human rights approaches to forced displacement.

VISION 

GIRWL’s vision is to work with and for refugee women globally to increase women’s participation in shaping policies, building refugee women’s capacity to engage locally, nationally, regionally and globally, and to strategically advocate for and promote inclusive human rights approaches to forced displacement.

With gender as the key cross-cutting theme, GIRWL aims to build a global network of refugee women and refugee women-led initiatives to bolster refugee women’s ability to make meaningful contributions to decision-making processes. GIRWL advocates for refugee agency and self-representation, strengthen the collaboration between network members, relevant global initiatives and other stakeholders, and to guarantee positive changes to the global refugee architecture, including the development and humanitarian systems.

The goal of GIRWL is to empower, inspire and equip refugee women to become leaders in their homes and communities.

ORIGIN

Support for the World Refugee & Migration Council’s work with GIRWL has been provided by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and through the Council’s partnership with Cuso International.